Quick Start - Consumer and General Interests Information
Quick links to information of general interest, especially for consumers.By Coverages
- Auto
- Commercial
- Health
- Homeowners
- Kids Page
- More on Homeowners
- Life
- Long-Term Care
- Title
- Windstorm
- Workers' Comp
General Consumer Links
- Consumer Home
- Complaint Form
- If My Insurance Company Fails
- Rate Guides
- Senior Issues
- StormLink
- Teens & Young Adults
- More Online
Services
Key Links: Agency Calendars · Agent/Adjuster Info | Lookup · Bulletins | Lookup · Codes · Contacts · Enforcements · Complaints · Forms · Jobs · Licensing · News · Publications · Rates · Rules · Updates · Websites · Webcasts
Contact Information and Other Helpful Links
Translation by WorldLingo
Consumer Protection
Highlights
Finding the Best Value for Your Insurance Dollar
TDI's Auto Insurance Price Comparisons and Home Insurance Price Comparisons help people shop for insurance and show annual price estimates submitted to TDI by the companies listed. Both auto and homeowners price comparisons show estimates for the type of policy a company is "most likely" to sell to new customers.
Along with price estimates, the guides provide contact information for each company listed, an AM Best financial rating, a complaint index, and shopping tips. The online price comparisons also include information on discounts offered.
Note: The price comparisons show annual price estimates submitted to the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) by the companies listed, and represent typical coverages for hypothetical profiles. The price information cannot be used to compare insurance rates between companies over time.
Consumer Tip of the Day
When shopping for auto insurance, buy only the coverage you need. Liability insurance is mandatory, but you can consider dropping your collision and comprehensive coverage if your car is paid for and is of relatively low value. Dropping these coverages will save you money, but remember that you will have higher out-of-pocket expenses if you have a claim. For more information, view Automobile Insurance Made Easy.
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When shopping for auto insurance, buy only the coverage you need. Liability insurance is mandatory, but you can consider dropping your collision and comprehensive coverage if your car is paid for and is of relatively low value. Dropping these coverages will save you money, but remember that you will have higher out-of-pocket expenses if you have a claim. For more information, view Automobile Insurance Made Easy.
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Various Resources
- Federal Health Care Reform Resource Page
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Resource Page
- Race-based Pricing Web Resource Page
- Data Calls and Surveys
- Consumers in the Houston and Galveston should be wary of deceptive advertisements from companies using names similar to that of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). TDI on April 3, 2009, issued a cease and desist order against Randy Barber and various unauthorized entities after they distributed advertisements giving the false impression that they are affiliated with TDI. Read the information sheet for more details.
Company Resource Pages
- Title Agencies in Receivership Resource Page
- Texas Memorial Life Insurance Company
- W.I.N. Association Resource Page
- AIG Resource Page
- Capitol County Mutual Fire Insurance Company Resource Page
- Brooke Corporation Resource Page
- United Title of Texas Resource Page
- Memorial Service Life and Lincoln Memorial Life
Resource Page
- If My Insurance Company Fails - Find out what will happen to your policy or benefits if your insurance company becomes insolvent. Learn who pays claims, the maximum amounts payable, how you can receive unearned premium refunds, and how to shop for new coverage.
Shopping for Insurance / File A Complaint
- Mediation for Out-of-Network Hospital-based Health Care Provider Claims
- Shopping for Insurance Resource Page
- Identity Theft and Credit Scoring: What You Should Know
- Need a list of insurance companies of interest to consumers? - Lists includes major Texas insurance companies based on policy premiums (homeowners, auto, workers´ compensation, accident and health, HMO, life and annuities)
- Each year TDI helps consumers with more than 30,000 complaints. Because of
TD's efforts, consumers received $48 million more in claims and refunds last
year.
File a Complaint Online | Complaint Help - TDI Complaint Stakeholders Resource Page
Consumer Alerts
- Forced Placed Coverage
- Car Buyers Urged to Beware of Flood-damaged Vehicles
- Seniors Urged to be Careful with Personal Information | (En Español)
- Protect Yourself Against Medicare Advantage Fraud | (En Español) | (Chinese) | (Vietnamese) | (Korean)
- Stranger-Owned Life Insurance: Zero Premium Life Insurance and New Issue Settlements
Disaster-Related Resource Pages
- Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Resource Page
- Hurricane Alex Resource Page
- H1N1 Flu Resource Page (En Español)
- Wildfire Resource Page
- Thunderstorm, Wind and Hail Insurance Resource Page
- Flood Resource Page
- Home Inventory Checklist (PDF) | (RTF) (En Español)
- Business Interruption Coverage | Word | PDF
Health Care-Related Resource Pages
- Long-Term Care Resource Page
- Discount Health Care Programs Resource Page
- Consumer Guide to Health Care Billing
- Workers' Compensation Health Care Networks for Injured Employees
- Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (Medicare Part D)
- Companies Marketing Life Insurance
- HR Trust Resource Page
- Chiropractors Resource Page
- Unauthorized Insurance Plans
- Advertising Workgroup Resource Page
| Help For | Toll-Free # |
|---|---|
| Consumers | 800-252-3439 |
| Injured Workers | 800-252-7031 |
| Reporting Arson | 877-434-7345 |
| Reporting Fraud | 800-252-3439 |
| Safety Violations | 800-452-9595 |
| [ tdi phone listings ] | |
| Help For | Link |
|---|---|
| Agents / Adjusters | |
| Filing Complaints | |
| Health Providers | |
| Media / Others | |
| Website Problems | |
| Favorite Links | |
|---|---|
| Agent Lookup | Company Lookup |
| Enforcements | DWC Home |
| DWC Forms | All Other Forms |
| TDI Jobs | TXCOMP Home |
| TDI StormLink | Windstorm |
| [ popular links · more lookups ] | |
For more information contact: ConsumerProtection@tdi.state.tx.us
Last updated: 11/12/2012
Contact Information and Other Helpful Links
Site Resources
www.nationwide.com/joshlewis
www.austinhealthbrokers.com
Shopping for Insurance Resource Page
Resource Pages | Useful Websites | Contact TDI | Find an Agent or Company | Shopping for Homeowners Insurance | Shopping for Health Care Coverage | Having Trouble Finding Insurance? | Consumer Publications | File an Insurance Complaint | Help Us Prevent Insurance Fraud
Shopping for insurance can result in better rates and a policy that best fits your needs. This resource page combines tips and resources to help you begin shopping for any line of insurance.
Resource Pages
- W.I.N. Association Resource Page
- AIG Resource Page
- Capitol County Mutual Fire Insurance Company Resource Page
- Brooke Corporation Resource Page
- Life Settlement Investments Bonded by Provident Capital Indemnity, Ltd.
- United Title of Texas Resource Page
Useful websites
Helpinsure.com
Helpinsure.com is a free and secure service to help Texans shop online for homeowners insurance. Agents and companies writing homeowners insurance in Texas can view your online profile and contact you to discuss your insurance needs.
1-866-695-6873
www.helpinsure.com
TexasHealthOptions.com
TexasHealthOptions.com is a one-stop resource of the state of Texas and TDI to help you find and compare health care coverage options. Consumers will also find resource information to health-related non-profit groups and state and federal agencies.
www.TexasHealthOptions.com
Contact TDI
For answers to general insurance questions or for information on filing an insurance-related complaint, visit our website or call the Consumer Help Line between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Central time, Monday-Friday
1-800-252-3439
463-6515 in Austin
www.tdi.state.tx.us
Find an Agent or Company
- Find an Agent
- List of insurance companies of interest to consumers. Lists includes major Texas insurance companies based on policy premiums (homeowners, auto, workers´ compensation, accident and health, HMO, life and annuities).
- List of insurance companies writing residential property insurance along the Gulf Coast
Shopping for Homeowners Insurance
- Start shopping immediately.
- Make sure your agent and company are licensed. Check agents’ and companies’ license status and buy only from licensed agents and companies. Find out whether a company or agent is licensed by calling the Consumer Help Line or by using the Agent Lookup and Company Lookup features on our website.
- Use an insurance agent to help you shop. Some agents represent only a single company or company group. Independent agents may represent several companies. Including independent agents in your search can help you get quotes from multiple companies with a single call. To find an agent near you, use your local yellow pages or visit www.helpinsure.com, a free service of the state and TDI that helps people shop for homeowners insurance.
- Make sure your insurance agent and company are licensed. To verify whether an agent or company is licensed, call our Consumer Help Line or use the Agent and Insurer Search features on our website.
- Understand homeowners policy types and coverages. Insurance
companies may sell several types of homeowners policies in Texas, each with a
different level of coverage. When comparing policies, make sure you compare
policies with similar coverages. Use the Shopping for Homeowners Insurance
Company/Policy Comparison Worksheet and the Shopping for Auto Insurance Company/Policy
Comparison Worksheet to help you gather information about companies and the
policies they offer.
- HO-A policies provide limited actual cash value coverage of your home and its contents. Only the types of damage specifically listed in the policy are covered. The HO-A is a standardized Texas policy. This means the coverages in the policy, unless endorsed otherwise, will be identical, regardless of the company selling it. Keep in mind that even though the coverages are identical in a standardized policy, the price can vary by company.
- HO-A amended policies provide more extensive coverage than the base HO-A policy but less coverage than an HO-B. Coverage provided by these policies may differ by company.
- HO-B policies provide replacement cost coverage for most types of damage, except those specifically excluded in the policy. The HO-B is a standardized Texas policy.
- Approved alternative policies offer varying levels of coverage. Companies may only sell alternative policies approved by the Commissioner of Insurance. Coverage may differ considerably from one company to another. In general, HO-B policies provide the most coverage for the price, but not all companies sell them. Ask companies or agents to identify and explain the different policy forms.
- You can compare the coverages included in different policies on the Office of Public Insurance Counsel website, www.opic.state.tx.us
Shopping for Health Care Coverage
- When shopping for coverage, visit www.TexasHealthOptions.com to learn about your options and to help you locate agents and companies selling insurance in your area.
- Be sure you understand the full extent of the coverage that is included in any health plan you’re considering. If you have more than one option, choose the plan with the highest level of coverage you can afford. The higher a plan’s deductibles, copays, and coinsurance, the more you can usually save on premiums. However, you’ll also have to pay more out of pocket for claims.
- Consider factors other than cost. A carrier’s financial rating and history
of consumer complaints are other important considerations. Also ake sure your
carrier is licensed by TDI. You can learn a company’s financial rating from an
independent rating organization, its complaints history, and its license status
by calling TDI’s Consumer Help Line or by viewing
company profiles on our website
1-800-252-3439
463-6515 in Austin
www.tdi.state.tx.us - Ask your friends, family, and physician for health plan recommendations. Be
sure to ask these questions before buying a health plan:
- Will the plan allow you to visit your choice of physicians and hospitals?
- Are there limits on medications, referrals to specialists, or treatments and surgeries?
- Are there benefit limits per person, family, illness, treatment, and/or hospital stay?
- What is the procedure for out-of-network emergency care?
- Does the plan have annual or lifetime maximums?
Having Trouble Finding Insurance?
Companies have different standards for accepting new customers. If you’re having trouble finding coverage, consider contacting the Texas FAIR Plan Association for homeowners insurance and the Texas Health Insurance Pool for health insurance.
To be eligible for the FAIR Plan, you must have been declined coverage by at least two insurance companies and may not have received an offer for a comparable policy from an insurance company licensed in Texas. Although the FAIR Plan policy does not provide wind and hail coverage for property located in one of the state’s 14 coastal counties or in parts of Harris County on Galveston Bay, it does provide wind and hail coverage in the remainder of the state.
FAIR Plan
1-800-979-6440
www.texasfairplan.org
The Health Pool offers health insurance to Texans who can’t find coverage because of their medical condition and to certain individuals who have recently lost their employer-sponsored health coverage. The Health Pool is generally the most comprehensive option you will find if you can’t get traditional coverage. Premium rates may be up to twice the standard rate in the individual health insurance market.
Health Pool
1-888-398-3927
1-800-735-2989 (TDD)
www.txhealthpool.com
Consumer Publications
General
- If My Insurance Company Fails
- Shopping Smart
- Helping You With Your Insurance Complaint
- Insurance Fraud
- Buying Insurance on the Internet - Shopping Tips and Dangers
- Glossary of Common Insurance Terms
Homeowners
- Homeowners Insurance
- Windstorm Insurance Inspections
- Glossary of Common Homeowners Insurance Terms
- Home Inventory Checklist
- Homeowners, Flood, and Windstorm Policies Comparison
- Shopping for Homeowners Insurance Company/Policy Comparison Worksheet
- Shopping for Homeowners Insurance Checklist
Health
- Your Health Care Coverage
- Health Maintenance Organizations
- Texas Health Insurance Risk Pool Brochure
- Independent Review Organizations
Consumer publications are available online and in print. To order printed copies, call the 24-hour Publications Order Line
1-800-599-SHOP (7467)
305-7211 in Austin
File an Insurance Complaint
TDI accepts and reviews written complaints against insurance companies, HMOs, insurance agents, adjusters, and fully insured or fully funded health benefit plans (health plans purchased by an employer from an insurance company or HMO).
For information on filing an insurance-related complaint, visit our website or call the Consumer Help Line between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Central time, Monday-Friday.
Insurance Complaint Forms
- English Online Form
- En Español En linea Forma | RTF Format | PDF Format
- Easy Print Form RTF Format | PDF Format
Help Us Prevent Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud is a crime and victimizes more than those directly affected by illegal schemes. It can also lead to increased costs for insurance companies that drive up policy rates for all consumers.
To prevent becoming a victim of fraud, follow a few tips:
- Shop around
- Get information from TDI
- Take your time shopping for insurance
- Pay by check or credit card
- Be cautious of policies sold door to door or over the phone
- Take precautions buying insurance over the Internet
- Keep copies of policies and correspondence between you and the companies you’re considering
- Remember: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
Insurance fraud is a crime. If you believe you’ve been a target of insurance fraud or you become aware of a fraud operation, report it to the TDI Fraud Unit online through the TDI website or by calling our toll-free Fraud Hot Line
1-888-327-8818
www.tdi.state.tx.us
For more information contact:
ConsumerProtection@tdi.state.tx.us
Last updated: 01/25/2012
Helping Texans with their auto, commercial and residential property insurance needs.
A free service of the Texas Department of Insurance and Office of Public Insurance Counsel.
For more information contact: ConsumerProtection@tdi.state.tx.us
ConsumerProtection@tdi.state.tx.us
Last updated: 01/25/2012
Texas Health Options
Get Help: 1-855-TEX-CHAP (1-855-839-2427)
Texas Health Options
This site is a State of Texas resource for finding health insurance
coverage.
Profiles:
- Parent or Guardian
- Parent–Child Medical Support
- Senior
- Individual
- College Student
- Person with a Disability
- Unemployed
- Military Servicemember
- Small Business Employer
- Large Business EmployerParent or Guardian
Programs:
- CHAP - Do you have a health insurance question or concern?
- Healthy Texas - Affordable Coverage for Small Business Owners
- Federal Health Reform - Affordable Care Act information
Learn about Insurance:
- Glossary
- Your Health Care Coverage
- HMOs
- Long-Term Care Resources
- Senior Information
- MSAs / HSAs
- About Discount Cards
Find Coverage:
- Using an Agent
- Consumer Choice Plans
- Individual Health Plans
- Mid-Sized & Large Employer
- Small Employer
- Cooperatives and Coalitions
- Medicare Health Plan Finder
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A free service of the Texas Department of Insurance and Office of Public Insurance Counsel.
HelpInsure Home Page
Select an Option and Explore
- Rates & PoliciesCompare sample rates & policy provisions.
Shop for auto insurance and residential property insurance, view and compare sample rates, get information about companies and agents, and learn about the types of insurance.
- Market ConnectionFind tools to help you obtain coverage.
Provide information to auto, homeowner & commercial insurers in a safe, secure manner, and you'll be contacted by mail, e-mail or phone. Or print our contact lists and search on your own. - Learning CenterMake yourself a more informed insurance consumer.
Find publications on auto, homeowners, condo, renters and commercial lines of insurance, or file a complaint and verify an agent or insurance company.
For more information contact: ConsumerProtection@tdi.state.tx.us
Shopping for Auto Insurance
Company/Policy Comparison Worksheet
Use this worksheet to help you gather information about insurance companies and the automobile insurance policies they sell. Also visit www.helpinsure.com to compare policy coverages and sample rate estimates.
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Call the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)
Consumer Help Line at 1-800-252-3439 or visit www.tdi.state.tx.us to learn a company’s financial rating and complaint index, and a company’s license status. COMPANY NAME →
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Liability Coverage
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Shopping for Homeowners Insurance
Company/Policy Comparison Worksheet
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Use this worksheet to help you gather information about insurance companies and the homeowners insurance policies they sell. Visit
www.HelpInsure.com to get general information about companies, including complaint indexes, financial ratings, sample rate estimates, coverage comparisons, and available discounts. Call companies directly for a rate quote. If you have questions about insurance, call the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) Consumer Help Line at 1-800-252-3439 or visit our website at www.tdi.state.tx.us. COMPANY NAME →
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COVERAGE COMPARISON
(Coverages vary by policy. Make sure you get the coverages you need!)
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Welcome to OPIC
Hello and welcome
to our website. My name is Deeia Beck and I am the Public Counsel and Executive
Director for the Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC).
OPIC represents the
interests of consumers, including small commercial insurance consumers, as a
class on matters involving insurance rates, rules, and policy forms. This
includes matters involving auto, homeowners, windstorm, and title insurance. We
also participate in rulemaking proceedings for life, accident, and health
insurance.
We hope you will
find this website helpful and informative. We have separate sections with
detailed information on each of the major lines of insurance sold in Texas. We
keep the website updated with recent news and developments that impact Texas
insurance consumers, so check back frequently. You can also access our insurance
related publications and reports from the website.
Again, thank you
for visiting our website. We welcome your comments and suggestions. And, please
come visit us again.
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 Can't find health insurance? The Texas Health Insurance Pool can help. to the Governor Log into Blue Access for Members to Manage Your Medical Benefits and More Log into www.medco.com to Manage Your Drug Benefit and More Tip: When registering, enter only your 9-digit numeric ID# in the Member Number field Policy Sample (Standard Plans I-IV) Effective 01/01/2012 Policy Sample (High Deductible Health Plan /HSA-Qualified Plan V) Effective 01/01/2012 CLICK HERE
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POOL ENROLLMENT AS OF OCTOBER 2012:
23,289
TOTAL TEXANS ENROLLED SINCE INCEPTION: ±90,000
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